By Alan Balfour and Zheng Shiling
Hardcover: 368 pages; Publisher: Academy Editions (UK); (June 2002); ISBN: 0471877336
From the Inside Flap:
In the last decade Shanghai has been transformed into a city of world significance. Its speed and ambition are hardly equalled in history. Understanding this and the historical context within which it has taken place is in the best interests of the Western world.
The nature of this reinvention is on the surface so crude and expedient that it must be treated very carefully to appreciate fully what has been achieved. It is much more than what superficially appears to be vulgar display of what is facetiously called 'market Leninism'; it has drawn on all the imagination of the major corporate powers to form the stage for a future Chinese industrial dominance in Asia and beyond.
All this is being embedded and supported in an explosion of building of unprecedented scale and ambition, as demonstrated in this book. Shanghai: World City showcases the most significant recent buildings, ongoing projects and possible future developments in this, one of the world's most fascinating and culturally complex metropolises.
Sydness Architects is pleased that our designs for the Bading Development Finance Mansion, the
Lujiazui Itochu Development Building, and the Shanghai United Bank Tower are included in this publication.
From the Back Cover:
The Academy World Cities Series stems from the vital need to consider our urban environment at the dawn of a new millenium. It presents a detailed and intelligent analysis of the state of the world's most prominent cities and their visions of the future, examining not only the social environment and planning history of each city, but also the projects that were never realised - the missed opportunities that might have created a city with a very different atmosphere. Comprehensive collections of essays, illustrations and projects representing the gamut of architectural styles give this series a unique viewpoint. World Cities: Shanghai is the sixth in the Academy 'World Cities' series, following titles on London, Los Angeles, Berlin, Tokyo and New York.
